Ruan Nortjé brings a decade at Loftus Versfeld to a close this Friday when the Bulls face Leinster in the URC Grand Final at Croke Park — a fitting stage for a career that began with an unexpected WhatsApp message during his matric year.
Nortjé was sitting in a cinema with teammates, on the eve of his final school exams and already accepted to North West University to study a B.Com in Business Management, when the Bulls made contact asking whether he had plans after school. He joined the Under-19 squad in January 2017 and went on to captain the side and earn Springbok colours before now departing for Japan.
"It's very special for me to be able to sign off my time with the Bulls in a Grand Final," Nortjé said. "Sometimes you look back and you wonder, how did I get here?"
His final practice at Loftus took place on Sunday, and the weight of the occasion was not lost on him. "I remember looking at the field and just having all these memories of what we've gone through together as a team on that field."
Nortjé pointed to the January 2017 team photo shoot as a moment that stays with him, particularly because his late grandfather was present. "My grandfather was always my biggest fan. He's since passed away, but I will forever be grateful for the fact that he was with me that day and could experience that moment when both of our dreams came true."
On Friday's match, Nortjé is clear-eyed about the task. "We know we are up against a quality team like they showed us last season. For us it's all about having belief and going out and giving everything we've got until the last minute."
Beyond the result, he frames his Bulls career as something larger than rugby. "The Bulls played a part in shaping the person that I have become. When I look at my journey, the best way I can sum it up is that I'm proof that nothing is impossible."